Application

Contacting Japanese Professors for MEXT

The cold-emailing nightmare everyone dreads. How to find professors, write the first email, handle silence, respect Japanese academic culture and secure the letter of acceptance.

ScholarshipUnion Editorial 2 min read Updated Oct 5, 2026

The cold email challenge

For the University track you must get a professor's acceptance. For the Embassy track it is highly recommended to know who you want to work with, because a letter of provisional acceptance "will greatly influence final selection results", according to the MEXT guidelines. Most professors receive dozens of generic emails — yours must stand out.

Embassy track: follow the official rules

After passing the first screening, embassy-track research applicants request provisional acceptance by contacting the university's international student affairs division first (not the professor directly), with their passing certificate. You may contact at most two universities at a time and hold at most two letters. In the FY2027 round, requests had to be made by 1 September 2026, and universities generally need about a month to issue a letter.

Email template builder

Fill in the fields to generate a personalised first-contact email structure.

Generated structure

Subject: Inquiry about research supervision — [your field]

Dear Professor [Name],

My name is [Your name]. I am writing to inquire about the possibility of joining your lab as a MEXT research student.

I read your recent work on [specific paper] and found the approach to [specific aspect] particularly relevant to my research interest in [field].

[2–3 sentences about YOUR specific research question and how it connects to their work]

I have attached my CV and a brief research proposal. I would be grateful for the opportunity to discuss potential supervision.

Best regards,
[Name]

Contact timeline

1
6–12 months before the deadline
Research
Use Google Scholar, J-GLOBAL and KAKEN. Read their papers. Check each university’s rules first: some, such as Ritsumeikan, ask you not to contact faculty until their call is published.
2
First email
Send a personalised email with your CV and research proposal, referencing their specific work.
3
Wait and follow up
Wait 2–4 weeks and send one polite follow-up. If there's no reply, try another professor.
4
Build rapport
A video call, small research tasks, discussing plans. This may take weeks or months.
5
Letter of acceptance
The golden ticket for the University track — formal or provisional.

Pro tips

Email 10–15 professors, not just one. Response rates are low, so cast a wide net across several universities (on the University track; the Embassy track has the two-at-a-time limit above). Regional universities are often more receptive than Tokyo or Kyoto.
Never send generic emails. Each email must reference their specific papers and explain how YOUR research connects. Generic emails get deleted instantly.
Timing matters. Avoid Japanese holidays (Golden Week, Obon, New Year). Send on Tuesday to Thursday mornings, Japan time.
Attach your research plan. Send your CV and a 1–2 page research proposal as PDF attachments. It shows you are serious and saves the professor time.

Next steps

You know how to find professors and write the first email. Now make sure the rest of your application is equally strong — see the full application guide.

Research plan

Your calling card for professors.

Embassy vs University

Which track needs professor contact?